'Unhelpful' study linking HRT and dementia slammed as 'disappointing for women'
Medical professionals have cautioned that a recent study linking Hormone Replacement Therapy (HRT) with dementia has "fundamental limitations".
The Danish study, published in the British Medical Journal, involved more than 60,000 women aged over 60, from 2000 to 2018.
Those using the drug containing both oestrogen and progestin hormones were 24 per cent more likely to go on to be diagnosed with the debilitating condition.
Scientists insisted among 60,000 Danish women aged 50 to 60 does not prove HRT increases the risk of dementia but say this now requires additional research.
The scientists were unable to determine why the women were prescribed HRT.
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The scientists were unable to determine why the women were prescribed HRT (Getty Images/iStockphoto)Calls for caution over the study come as early dementia symptoms like brain fog are also present in menopause too.
Dr Sarah-Naomi James, of the MRC Unit for Lifelong Health and Ageing at University College London, told The Sun study “has fundamental limitations”.
She added: “The best way to understand whether HRT medication itself causes dementia comes from clinical trials.
“To date, there is not enough evidence to support a direct link from the medication itself, and this new study alone should not change practice.”
GP and menopause specialist Dr Louise Newson added that the study was “disappointing for women”.
She said: “It’s just going to cause more confusion. I’m not sure how helpful it is to produce a study based on older types of HRT.
"Observational studies don’t prove cause and effect and, if people don’t know that, you can get hoodwinked quite easily.”
Lead author Nelsan Pourhadi, of Copenhagen University Hospital, said: “Further studies are warranted to determine whether these findings represent an actual effect of menopausal HRT on dementia risk, or whether they reflect an underlying predisposition in women in need of these treatments.”
Dr Amanda Heslegrave, of the UK Dementia Research Institute, said: “This research may cause alarm for women taking HRT, but it highlights just how much we still don’t know about the effects of hormones on women’s brain health.”
Earlier this year, it was reported that women going through menopause will be able to access cheaper drugs on a new NHS multi-buy deal from today saving hundreds of pounds a year.
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HRT has been made available in England for 12 months for around the cost of two prescription charges.
Currently, around 15 per cent of women aged 45-64 in England are prescribed HRT.
This has increased rapidly in the last two years from around 11% and continues to increase.
It comes after shortages of HRT drugs in some areas reportedly left some women suicidal.
The PPC will be valid for 12 months and used against HRT prescription items such as patches, tablets and topical preparations.
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